So yeah, big mistake. Two actually. I'm not sure if you noticed one of my spelling mistakes, but I had a bad one shortly after Ruby Weiss apologized to Ruby. If you didn't see it, go look at it because it's kind of funny.

BrownTeddyBear mentioned to me that I had made two last names for Darren. West in the first chapter, and Bentley in the most recent. To clear things up, I like Bentley more, so that is his last name.

I also apologize for the wait. Near the end of my Thanksgiving break I got sick and when I'm sick my quality decreases. I would rather take time to make something good than output garbage. As far as that goes, here is the next chapter.

Beacon Academy was boring in every aspect of the word. The classes like history and Grimm Studies were useless in most aspects. Thanks to me taking the knowledge from victims, as well as having actually lived through them, I knew almost every event that had come to pass in Remnant's past. As far as Grimm Studies, knowing the weakness of your enemies was useful, but it wasn't anything you couldn't learn in the field.

The less frequent class with Professor Peach was a refreshing amount of reality. She told us people would die and that you couldn't save everyone. The first lessons were of which wounds in which areas were the most stable. Everyone but me seemed downcast after that class. I couldn't have taught it better myself.

The only class that offered me any sort of entertainment was Combat, taught by Professor Glynda Goodwitch. A much more demeaning and comedic name for her was already passing through the halls in the first few days. But the class itself let me enjoy watching the strong pummel the weak. Today in particular I watched Pyrrha Nikos, the champion herself, absolutely decimate Team CRDL without so much as taking a hit. Her aura lay at 98% at the end of the fight.

Alright, now I know that's a tough act to follow, but we have time for one more sparring match. Any volunteers?" Silently she stared at us all for a moment before I raised my hand, noting the beginnings of the same movement coming from a silver-haired boy across the room. "I'll give it a go." I said. Finally, an excuse to slightly maim someone.

"Darren, is it. Very well, let's find you an opponent." I jumped down from our raised seats and landed on the wooden floor with a loud *thump*. "She's already standing in the arena. So let's do this." Pyrrha made a noise of confusion before Glynda answered me.

"I'm afraid miss Nikos has just finished a match. I'd recommend you choose another partner." Pyrrha raised her sword/spear once she had finished talking. No! It's fine. I'd be happy to oblige." I smiled wickedly and she got an uneasy look in her eye. "Alright then. If you would please go grab your weapons at the side of the room and gear up, we can get this match started."

I waked to the right end of the room where our lockers were transported. I didn't have much to take. I simply took off the more restricting School Uniform Jacket and slipped on my leather over-coat and slung my sword over my back. Done with that, I entered the ring with a smug look on my face. Pyrrha waited in the center and before we started I asked a question. "Just one thing, is Psychological Warfare allowed?" Both Glynda and Pyrrha looked at me strangely.

"However you may manage that, you may do so." I nodded before facing my opponent again and getting in a readied stance. "Let's do this." Glynda pressed a few buttons and my aura appeared next to Pyrrha's on the hologram above us. "3. 2. 1. Begin." The second she gave us the signal, I charged at Pyrrha fast, a wrist mounted blade being summoned upon my hand.

In the thrust I performed, Pyrrha slid her shield at my blade, pushing it to the side before stepping where I had come from and countering with a slash. Unperturbed I slung around my blade and impacted her own with equal force, knowing the shock it would put on her arm would be more effective than a simply parry or catch. It worked as I saw a slightly pained look on her face before becoming stony as she saw my counter. I had summoned a second wrist-mounted blade and cross, sliced her twice, once jumping forwards and the second backwards to put distance between us. She blocked them both, standing steadfast at what most people would have considered an impressive strength.

She seemed to like the distance just fine as her gladiator-like sword shifted into the spear with the barrel in the back. With a fast spin of the weapon two shots were fired off at me and I let them impact my chest. Not my smartest idea because at my limited defensive power, they stung and my 'aura' lowered 1%. Pyrrha stopped spinning her weapon with the blade leveled at me and held above her head. A pounding noise echoed again as the blade punched like a piston at me. With a swipe of my hand I blocked the tip from impacting me and charged at her in the opportune moment where the spear was in motion.

Not as opportune as I thought because the second I got close to her I felt the metal shaft of the spear impact me in the head. It didn't hurt, but it did put me off balance enough for the spear to come around and do it again, this time the bladed end impacting me. The blade skipped off of me thanks to my focusing my power into a shield.

I gripped the wrist-mounted blades that were positioned under my palms and transformed them into two broadswords. My opponent looked at me warily as I chuckled and jumped towards her. I performed the came-cross chops again, only this time pushing forwards with both and pushing Pyrrha backwards. Then I jumped and spun diagonally, slicing into her shield twice more. An impressive guard if I must say.

I decided to test just how far that guard would go as my swords transformed again, becoming longer and sleeker, more fit for stabbing than slashing, though good for both. At the same time Pyrrha switched her own weapon back into a gladiator sword. Smiling wickedly again, I moved much faster forwards than I had before, my right arm raised in a strong stab meant to impale her in the chest. She raised her shield in a feigned block, letting her block crumple as she dodges. My reaction time increased I slashed wildly at her as I turned around, catching her in the shield again. This was going to be fun.

"Keep it up. I'm having a good time." She smiled in amusement before I charged again, slashing three times in three different direction before using a double-bladed slash to push her shield to the side and I stabbed mercilessly. Her shield was back in place faster and she used the same fake block. This time I wasn't charging and while she deflected my right blade, my left caught her by surprise in her shoulder. The sharpness of it temporarily bypassed her aura and she jumped back in surprise.

Realizing she was doing better with range, she activated her weapon and transformed it into a spear again. This time she charged me and I met her with an overhead slash using both swords. She blocked them and shoulder-bashed me at the same time before spinning and sending a bullet-propelled spear stab into my stomach. I had little time to block it and pushed it to the side.

She used this to spin around and slam the flat of the blade into my chest before twirling the weapon at an immense speed, effectively turning it into a saw-blade. I narrowly voided the spinning blade's first pass and was forced to use both blades in an 'X' shape to catch it. The centrifugal force behind it granted the blow impressive strength. Enough to shatter my summoned blades. The pieces scattered across the ground. I laughed. "Big mistake."

While she was confused, I reached out my hold onto the still solid shards and sent them at her. Six shards attempted to embed themselves into her skin. Two Bounced off her leg armor and a third off her shield. One sliced a thin cut into her cheek and the last two were blocked by her aura. "All bets are off now." I told her. She was just testing me at first and now was fighting fully. It was time to return the favor.

I stepped back and unsheathed my massive blade with one hand and spun it like a cane before catching it in two hands, ready. With reach enough to match her spear, I swung horizontally at her side. She jumped, placing a hand on the flat of my blade in the motion. Suddenly my blade's trajectory smashed into the floor and I was dumbstruck for a moment. That was all Pyrrha needed as she swung her spear into my shoulder, jumping behind me in the same motion.

Still in the air, another bullet-stab smashed into the base of my neck, directly on my spinal cord. I'll admit, it stung. It also made me laugh wickedly and dangerously as a thin line of blood that was almost black trickled out of the wound like a needle stab. "Oh, now you've gone and done it." Faster, much faster than before I swung my blade, ripping it out of the ground and impacting her shield, sending her halfway across the arena with the force of it. She landed roughly, surprise written on her face as well as a few gasps from the crowd. "Remember my question about Psychological Warfare?" I asked her. She nodded warily. "Lights out."

As I said those words, every light in the room lost their power and the room plunged into pitch black darkness. The only thing visible to everyone else was our Aura Bars. Hers was at 92% and mine 99%. I could see perfectly through the darkness. What I saw amused me. Pyrrha already had her eyes closed, deeming them useless. She was un-moving, listening. It would do her no good.

With muted movements, I sailed through the air and slashed at her. Surprisingly she moved her shield in the direction of my sword and blocked it. What was different now is that she tanked the force of it without so much as a huff, and swung her spear, hard. The impact hurt and sent me a few feet backwards. "How did you... Oh." I suddenly realized her semblance.

I sheathed my massive blade before slinging it off my back and outside the arena. Then I took off my throwing knives and dropped those as well. "Good luck seeing me now. Her eyes opened, still seeing nothing. Or at least I thought. While I was removing all my metal, she had taken our one of her bullets and activated the dust within it, making a slow burn and lighting a circle around her. The light didn't reach the crowd, but it let her see a little. "I'm impressed. I didn't think you'd figure out my semblance in one fight."

I echoed my voice, making it come from everywhere and nowhere. "As am I. It is clear to me now that you're cut from a different cloth than everyone else. I'm going to enjoy this." Her eyes narrowed again, but not warily. Oh no, her eyes held the first hints of fear. Faster than most warriors could see, I struck with a summoned blade that was translucent. It passed through her leg armor and cut her shins as she yelped with pain.

I came for a second pass, making a cut on her back, then arm, leg again, and a last one just an inch below her eye. She wasn't moving to block though. She took each hit with little reaction. I decided to make my next one deeper. As I charged again, I watched her eyes zero in on my fleeting form and her shield cut into my gut sharply, not drawing blood. Without a moment's respite she spun her spear, shooting me twice and turning the axis and smashing my jaw with the blunt end and continuing with a cut in the same place.

She tried for a stab milliseconds after the combination attack. I deflected it and spun around, striking her. She had her shield raised but my ethereal blade passed through the molecules and cut her deeply in her shield arm. She bit back a grimace as I jumped and kicked off of her stomach and back into the darkness. There, I echoed my voice again. "You read the pattern. I guess I'll just have to make this quick then.:

Using the same technique as my swords, I summoned multiple spikes around the room. At random intervals I shot them at her, all having enough force behind them to be a light stab. I glanced at her aura. 60%. The attacks kept hurting more, cutting deeper. I could see real fear in her eyes as she struggled to fight back against my attack. It made me smile.

"They say fire is hope. Let me take yours away." My voice echoed in the confines of the arena, this time not reaching those watching. In a flurry of movement, I bashed her painfully out of the way and listened to her impact the wall. I stamped out her light and rushed forwards again, taking her spear from her hands and throwing it away.

Back against the wall, she rolled to the side, thinking she knew where she was. I made a wall that she ran into, and then two more. As she tried to move in either direction, she found herself trapped. "What?" She asked herself, her voice wavering just a bit. She banged the wall twice, and I dissipated it, making her hit open air on the third. She fell forwards and barely stayed on her feet. I spoke again, my voice deeper and more sadistic than before. "This is only the beginning."

I punched her in the cheek and she sailed a foot to the side, failing to catch herself. She was disoriented. "I've got a gift." I said as I threw her weapon back to her, just to see what she would do. I watched her fumble for her ammo magazine, but I had removed it. By now she had actual fear on her face, showing through her green eyes. Her aura was at 40% now.

She switched the spear back into a sword and began swinging desperately at open air, out of options. "Oh, come now. You can do better than that." I said as I calmly appeared behind her, punching her twice in the back. I lashed out at her knees, kicking them out and putting her on her knees. I struck the back of her head. "Oh how the mighty have fallen." I laughed as she struggled to rise off the ground and swung behind her. I was already gone.

I kicked her in the chest, sending her over her knelt legs and onto her back. 30% aura. My attacks were heavy and strong, doing real damage to her now. I tossed a bullet at her head. She fumbled on the ground for it before loading it into her gun and switching to rifle form. Pyrrha then stood up and began aiming to the sides of her wildly. I could see her eyes watering now, on the verge of tears. It made me laugh in a twisted way.

The temperature of the room started to lower as I laughed horribly, the noise of it echoing around with no end. The sound filled the room and only became worse and worse. This was no longer the laugh of my shell. This was the laugh of Death as he watched your soul wither in front of him. Pyrrha now had tears streaming down her face, her movements becoming more erratic. She continued swinging the barrel. "WHERE ARE YOU!?" She screamed. All other noise stopped and I let the crowd hear her panic. "I'm right here." I said from behind her before reaching violently into her aura and damaging it in a way that no one was meant to experience. After only a few seconds, she collapsed, her aura having dropped down to 2%.

The lights came back on, and what everyone saw was a bloodied Pyrrha Nikos, a inter-kingdom champion, lying on the ground in tears. I stood above her, fake concern on my face. I would get a lot of heat if people knew I wanted this. "Are you alright?" I asked. As the red-head looked up at me I made my eyes go completely black and smiled like I had just killed a family and was happy about it. She screamed, trying to crawl away weakly, still crying.

"Mr. Bentley!" Glynda almost screamed, drawing everyone's attention. "What is the meaning of this?" She looked at me with a fury in her eyes that I had not seen in a long time. "I.. I didn't mean to?" I said quietly. She continued walking her pale-green eyes brimming with purple streaks. "When I said that I allowed Psychological Combat, I meant to make them uneasy or hide your real power until an opportune moment. I did not mean to bring a student within an inch of her life and make her fear that she was going to die?!"

She was screaming louder now, her eyes having gone almost fully to purple and I felt a barely restrained power behind them as an uncomfortable pressure started to creep up on every inch of me. "You are lucky that the decision is not up to me or else you would be expelled from this school in seconds." Her voice had gone from screaming to deadly calm and the pressure began to increase. It must have been up to three pounds on every square inch and rising.

"What is up to me is punishment. You will be given detention and take the place of the cleaning staff for the mess hall. Both of these last until the end of the semester. Now get out of my classroom. Our Headmaster should be summoning you withing the hour." The pressure dropped off of my form and I half walked half ran out of the room, pretending to be scared. I barely had time to grab my weapon and knives.

I had learned a lesson though. If I was to continue to torture these people without having the majority of my time restricted, I had to make sure no fingers pointed at me. I also learned that if I want to stay in this school, I can't pull anything else in Glynda's classroom.

Glynda's P.O.V.

I watched in seething rage as Mr. Bentley ran out of the classroom, clambering to grab his weapons. I turned back to my injured student who was still lying on the ground and attempting to compose herself. My anger ran thin as concern filled me and I picked her up, looking at anyone in the room and daring them to make a comment. "I'm taking miss Nikos to the aura healing chambers. Class dismissed." I said. Everyone ran out of the room, afraid of what I might do if they didn't obey. Somewhere in the back of my mind I chastised myself for letting such an open display of anger slip past.

Sparing one glance back at the aura bars, I saw something that shocked me. Pyrrha's aura laid at 2%, but Mr. Bentley's aura lay at 99%, specifically 99.5. I couldn't see to tell how many hits she had landed, but there were a lot thrown. I ignored it and carried the fallen champion to the infirmary.

When we got there an nurse immediately looked at miss Nikos with shock and grabbed her. She was unconscious by now. "What happened?" She asked me. "She has taken extreme physical and aura-based trauma, landing at 2% aura left. Most importantly though was mental trauma. Give her a mild sedative when she wakes up until she is calm."

"Well help her. For now you should probably get cleaned up." I nodded as she walked off with the unconscious Pyrrha Nikos before I looked down. There were spots of blood all over my white blouse and hands. Some of it dried and some fresh. With a sigh I walked off to the washroom to clean up.

Pyrrha's P.O.V.

I woke up in the dark, lying on a smooth metal floor. The weight of my armor and weapons were not present. I immediately sat up, remembering the battle and how it ended. Where was I? My hands felt cold as they pushed me to my feet, which were now also cold. Now standing I swiveled myself in a circle to look for light sources and was met with only pitch black.

*Deep Laugh*

A sound reverberated through the room and sent a chill down my entire being, making me shiver. I recognized it. No it wasn't Darren's laugh in the dark, but something that happened years ago. I remembered clearly the the time I fell through the frozen lake near my home in Mistral. I had heard the laugh then as well. I had only managed to break through the ice again not to live, but to escape that laugh. It terrified me to know it was near again.

*Laughs again*

I shivered, partially from fear and partially from the dropping temperature. I was sure that if I had light I would be able to see my breath. Mustering the courage to speak, I called out. "Who are you?"

"Wrong... Question." *Another Laugh*

I covered my ears against the deep and evil noise assaulting my ears and soul. If that was wrong then what was right? Maybe if I asked the right question then the laughing would stop. I racked my mind as the noise grew ever louder and I fell to my knees. "Stop stop stop." I whispered without my consent, yet I continued until I found my question.

"What are you?" I asked quietly into the darkness. All of a sudden the laughing stopped and left a cold silence in its place. "I... Am... Death..." A moment after the words touched my ears it was as if gale-force winds threw me backwards and carried me. I felt many turns through my blindness until a roaring filled my ears and and a hard impact struck my back.

Third Person - Following Pyrrha

Pyrrha Nikos lay still on her back in the center of a metal and oblong sphere on a metal bed. The room was dimly illuminated and humming softy. It was one of Beacon's emergency Aura Chambers. Many faint white lines of skin and pale bruises covered her skin, the only remainders of the injuries she endured. Her hands tensed and her head began to swivel from side to side, her Rapid Eye Movement increasing as she apparently looked around.

She flinched as if something pained her before stilling for a moment. "Where are you?" She said faintly before wincing again and repetitively. Her arms tensed and un-tensed repeatedly and rapidly as she whispered to herself. "Stop stop stop." Over and over again.

"What are you?" She asked in obvious pain from whatever nightmare she was having. Then she want silent as every piece of magnetic metal in the room dimmed in a black light and bent. Fortunately the actual structure of the room was reinforced and barely groaned under the stress of it. The same could not be said for the hospital bed.

Nuts and washers snapped clean off of their threads and broke away like bullets, pinging off the walls. The framework groaned as it twisted like putty, the white paint chipping off in many places. The entirety of the structure collapsed and the healing girl fell to the floor before jolting upwards as fast as she could. She tried for her feet but slipped on one of the pieces of metal, falling and cutting her hand on a jagged and broken bolt. "Ah!"

Pyrrha fell to her side, cradling her hand that was injured with no aura focused to protect it. It was fairly deep and already bleeding droplets onto the metal floor. Pyrrha's green eyes stopped on her hand for only a moment before wildly looking around to find out where she was. An Aura Chamber. Seeing that she was apparently safe, her heart started to slow down.

"Is everything alright?" A feminine voice said moments after a metal on metal creak of the locking mechanism opening. Pyrrha's head jolted to the side and at the new voice before calming down again. "Oh, Professor Peach. What are you doing here?" She asked, pushing herself up with only her right hand. Peach spared only a moments glance at the bed before meeting Pyrrha's eyes, noting the concealed wild look.

"I heard the crash and came running over. It seems like the chamber did its work as most of your wounds are healed. Let's get that hand wrapped up." Peach said with a bit of concern and a level voice. "I'd like that." The two walked out of the chamber and over to a medical cabinet. Pyrrha took a seat, still holding her hand.

"We should really make those beds out of aluminum." Peach said, referring to Pyrrha's polarity. "I don't believe that would help without aircraft-grade aluminum." Both of them knew the violent outbursts that Hunters and Huntresses had when awakening after a battle. Peach laughed slightly. "You might have a point with that." She began to disinfect the stab wound on Pyrrha's hand. "About how long was I out for?" She asked.

"Curfew has passed with the exception of your team members. It is a little past midnight but one of your friends-"

"Pyrrha!" A male voice said along with the clatter of metal on the floor. Before Pyrrha could look at the doorway she was wrapped in a hug from Jaune who was without his armor and looking tired. "I'm glad you're alright." He said.

"I'm fine Jaune. Just a little shook up." She pat Jaune on the back with her free arm, slightly surprised by the hug. Jaune realized how awkward his tackle-hug was and stood back fast. "Yeah I was just, you know, worried." He looked back at the door. "Oh, I brought you a soda! But I think it's flat now." He said as he picked up the can he dropped. "It's the thought that counts though, right?" He asked sheepishly.

"That it is Jaune." Pyrrha said before wincing as Peach tied medical wrap tightly around Pyrrha's hand. "You're good to go. Because of how long you were out, I've been told to inform you that you are excused from classed tomorrow. "Thank you. I'll be heading back to my room then." Peach nodded as she tossed a bloodied bandage in a bio-hazard bin that was closer than the actual trash can where it belonged.

"Let's go Jaune, I could use some rest despite being unconscious for so long." He nodded. "Yeah, I used to have the same problem all the time." He said before mentally kicking himself. "All the time?" Pyrrha asked. Jaune sighed. "I used to run into a lot of things. I'd wake up an hour later and feel tired." Pyrrha chuckled lightly at the image of an unconscious Jaune being drug back to his house repeatedly by his parent.

Jaune and Pyrrha each climbed into their respective beds, careful not to make any noise that would disturb Ren or Nora. Jaune was asleep in minutes while Pyrrha simply lay in the dark, looking at the ceiling and listening to her friends' varying rates of breathing. Sleep was not coming as easily to Pyrrha as it should have been, given how tired she felt. Even when mentally returning to her home in Mistral, peacefully watching the fireplace, she could not fall asleep.

It must have been an hour or so before her eyes finally drifted closed and she felt the embrace of sleep take her. Only moments before she lost consciousness however, she heard it again. Echoing faintly in the dark room was that same laugh. Her eyes immediately shot open and her hand slapped against her waist, looking for her weapon.

She scrambled out of her bed and onto her feet, her eyes somewhat adjusted to the moonlit room. Her breathing was ragged as if she was in the middle of a battle. Her eyes showed fear like a cornered animal. "Pyrrha?" The red-haired girl whipped around with her fist raised at whoever's hand was on her shoulder. Her movements ceased when she saw a half scared half concerned Jaune with one hand raised to cover his face. She stepped backwards, her hands up. "I-I'm sorry."

Her foot caught on something near her nightstand, Milo and Akouo. She grabbed both of them before running to the door. "I-I'm going to train. Don't follow me." She said, her voice shaking slightly due to her nerves. After stepping out of the door before Jaune could protest, Pyrrha ran to the training hall as fast as she could. It was the only place free of curfew besides the dorms.

Looking for something to simply take her mind off of everything, she walked to the corner of the room and opened a door. Inside was another room with a hexagonal patterned floor, walls, and ceiling. In the corner was three labeled dials. There was "Environment", "Time", and "Enemy". They were all holograms and artificially generated environment, but they felt real.

She chose a winter forest at night with scattered Beowolves as her enemy. After turning them all accordingly and stepping to the center of the room, the atmosphere changed. The temperature dropped to 40 Degrees F. and a light snow came. The chill woke Pyrrha up and centered her. It reminded her of the forests in Mistral during winter.

*Growl*

The familiar noise of a single Beowolf came to her ears and she turned around, much more calm than she was a moment ago. The feeling of battle always seemed to center her. Milo raised in spear form, unloaded. The wolf in front of her stood with unblinking red eyes, and a snarling maw filled with teeth. It's form flickered ever so slightly as it strode to meet her.

With a steadying breath, Pyrrha closed the distance in a single gliding jump, impaling upwards through the creature's jaw before it had a moment to react. The second was more prepared. When she swung her spear the armored plates on the Beowolf's arm blocked the strike. Her next attack was a stab which caught the wolf in the gut. With well generated AI of a Grimm's beastly-hood, it continued to push itself at her, further impaling its body on the spear. Pyrrha loaded a clip into her spear and fired while applying torque.

The effect was the Beowolf being split in half from the stomach up and then fading from sight. The red-headed warrior remained alert to more sounds. The one sound she didn't want to hear assaulted her and at the same time, the generated moon dimmed. "No." She said faintly, the grip on her weapons becoming white-knuckled.

A shuffling caught her attention and she turned around to see something shambling out of the shadows. A Beowolf with one arm that was dripping an eldritch ichor looked at her with hollow, black eyes. It's fur was matted and balded in many areas and overgrown in others. It was also skinnier than most other Beowolves and walked more akin to a human.

"Stay back!" She said, her weapon transforming into a rifle and firing off a shot into the abomination's skull. Its head recoiled back from the impact, turning slightly. When it came back the left half of its head was blown away and dripping. The creature's jaw fell open in a wheezing mockery of a laugh as it continued to walk at her. Panic seized Pyrrha as she unloaded her clip into the thing before her, chunks coming off with each shot. One bullet caught its leg and the whole body fell forwards and lay still.

Pyrrha's breathing was all that was heard before the body dissipated away and the night sky returned to the well lit ceiling of the Environment Generation Room. "Simulation Complete." Echoed through a speaker. Pyrrha ignored it as she dropped her rifle-spear, the barrel still smoking from the numerous shots fired. The door to the room opened and closed, and she looked to the side. Standing there was the remaining three members of her team. "Pyrrha, are you alright?" Jaune said.

With her voice breaking slightly, Pyrrha answered them. "I... I don't know."

I hope you enjoyed the chapter and after this, I hope none of you will be calling Darren, 'Edgy'. As always, leave a PM or a review to me if you have any ideas or comments on the story. I write for your input on these things.